Spiritual Growth (Part 2 of 3)

In the last post (Part 1), we talked about how new believers ought to desire and feed on the Word of God so that they grow in their faith and walk with Jesus Christ. I want to remind you that it doesn't matter how old we are physically, or how long we've been a Christian, if we don't read and study the Bible, we will stay babes in Christ, never growing in faith or spirituality. I also wrote about how it is our responsibility to grow our faith. We mustn't stay idle because we risk falling away from the faith. We must do our part in pursuing God, searching and learning how God wants us to live. We must be lifelong learners. When we do this, we can trust God to do the rest. The next stage in growing spiritually is a combination of childhood and adolescence. As a baby grows up, they become toddlers. They start learning how to walk and slightly become less dependent. They are curious and taking in a lot from their surroundings. They grow into children and have super absorbent brains. They also begin talking and asking more questions. As we grow in Christ, we ought to mimic this behavior as well. We watch others and begin to imitate and live Christ-like lives. We no longer need to be on the bottle or spoon fed. We should be on solid food, meaning that we are gaining deeper insight on the Bible. We ought to be practicing the Christian life, asking questions, growing deeper, and even sharing our faith with others. Proverbs 22:6 says start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Children at this age are very teachable and do not have things that can get in the way or learning, such as pride. Children enjoy learning, and so should we. As God trains us, He molds our mind and fills us with His wisdom, knowledge and understanding. This stage is a critical part in our faith and spiritual journey as it sets the foundation of Christian living. By this time, we should be adjusted to the Christian lifestyle and know what is right and wrong in the eyes of God. We learn this by God correcting us. You might think (like I did) that you are a mess and have so much to work on (but don't fret)!!! God is full of mercy and grace. While it may be true that we have a gazillion things to improve, God will highlight a small area or thing in your life that He wants to work on. He may be asking us to stop doing something like swearing, lying, smoking, sex, or He may even tell us to stop hanging out with certain people. He may also ask us to start doing things or to make things right in our lives such as apologizing, forgiving, and going to church. Only you will know what God is speaking to you, and it is your choice to listen to Him or not. If you don't listen, I am very certain that you will live with guilt and shame. These are tactics the enemy uses to keep you from God and from enjoying life. Let me tell you right now that it is for your benefit that you make these changes and do what God asks. I don't know about you, but I don't necessarily like or enjoy change. It can be brutaly getting out of my comfort zone, but I've realized that I'd rather change and do what God says, than to keep dealing with the same, repetitive and frustrating problem. For example, let's say that you are taking your final quiz before you graduate. This is the last thing thing you need to do, then you are done. You've failed the test twice now, each time by only a couple of points. God asks you to spend more time studying and cut out the distractions (Facebook, friends, fun). You decide to study for an hour and go out, thinking that you've put in your time. The next time you take your test, you fail again by a measly couple of points. You keep doing this until you are frustrated and so peeved that you just want to vomit. Yet, if you would have done it God's way, you would have passed the third time. Let me ask you, how many times are you going to keep up your same routine and do it your way? God is asking you to make a few changes and stay disciplined so that you can pass the exam and move on. If we keep on doing it our way, we go right back to square one. It's miserable knowing that you can't move on because this last thing is holding you back.

God isn't forceful and will politely asks us to change (for our benefit), but we will stay right where we are if we refuse to listen. It isn't until we yield to Him, and do it His way that we will succeed and move forward. We always choose to learn the hard way, don't we? This reminds me of teenagers and their behavior. I cringe just thinking about it (I have an 11 year old). When a child turns 12, he or she moves into the adolescent stage where they start thinking for themselves. They hit puberty and become more aware of the world and things around them. They test their independence and think that they know everything. They do not rely on their parents much, but instead become self-sufficient. This could be the case in our spiritual walk. We may think we've learned all that we need to know. Maybe we've even read the whole Bible from cover to cover. However, did you know that a person's brain isn't fully developed until the age of 25? That means that the brain giving them their ability to rationalize is not totally formed and at it's full potential. Like teens, this is the stage where we make mistakes, get corrected and learn from our mistakes, and to not repeat mistakes. Just as our teens don't know everything, neither do we about God. God's job is to show us the errors in our ways, and give us an alternative option. Hence, salvation and Jesus Christ.

Additionally, God corrects those He loves (Proverbs 3:12), just as we correct our own children. We don't correct our children to benefit us necessarily, but we do it so that they will make better decisions in life. We prefer that they not learn the hard way or struggle the way we did. Hebrews 12:11 tells us that no discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. This verse couldn't be more accurate. If we continue to learn, and grow in God's word, faith, and righteousness, we will not regret it. We will be grateful and amazed by the work and transformation the Lord has done in us. Let God work on you and in you, for those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. It is the job of God's Holy Spirit to train and instruct us according to God's commands. As God grows us, molds us, grooms us, and refines us, we start looking more and more like Jesus. Soon, we will find ourselves as Christians who are mature in the faith. Until then, we must be teachable, diligent, humble, and persistent on this journey. It is God's will that continue to grow our faith, until our Lord Jesus returns.

Let us pray.

Father God,

I thank you for this message, and showing us how growing in the spirit can be comparable to growing in the flesh. Father, thank you for those who have fed on Your Word and transitioned into the stage of a child/adolescent. Help us as we grow in our faith and in Your Word. During this time, You ask us to change and do things that are out of our comfort zone. Thank You that what You ask us to do is for our benefit. Help us to submit to You and not resist You instruction. Show us where we are continuing on the same path of error and falling back into the same pits of failure. Enable us to do it Your way so that we may graduate into all You have for us. Living like Jesus is not easy, but we are so glad that You've give us Your Holy Spirit to help guide us. Grow us into the mature Christians that You want us to be and help us to be lifelong learners. Remind us to not rely on our own strength and understanding, but to reply completely on You. You are perfect, magnificent, and the Most High. We praise and worship You In Jesus' name, amen.

Prayerfully,

Pam